French government names Hartsdale resident a Knight for saving the historic Odell House
Hartsdale resident named a Knight by French government
(I looked up how one is supposed to greet a Knight – we should call Susan Seal Madame la Chevalliere)
The Odell House on Ridge Road in Hartsdale played an important role in American history. The house was falling apart and in desperate need of repairs. Susan Seal of Hartsdale led the successful effort to persuade the town of Greenburgh to acquire the property, to take steps to restore the house and most recently to turn the house into a museum. Susan Seal has exceeded expectations for this amazing historical treasure.
In recognition of Susan Seal’s extraordinary efforts the French Consul General in New York, Cédrik Fouriscot, advised Susan Seal that she has been appointed to the rank of Knight in France's National Order of Merit. This is the second highest award given to civilians by the French Government after the Legion of Honor. In making this announcement M. Fouriscot said “This honor celebrates your friendship with our country and your leadership in the effort to restore Odell House, a poignant symbol of the Franco-American alliance. By working with the city of Greenburgh to turn the ancient home into a museum, you are helping to preserve the memory of our common history and to share it with future generations.”
The work to create a museum celebrating our national and community heritage continues. All interior structural repairs are completed. The exterior awaits only the delivery of new windows and the shingles, expected in January, their installation will complete the restoration of the outer building. Dangerous trees are being removed from the property by the Town DPW so that the landscaping can begin.
OHRH, built in 1732, served as the headquarters for the Comte de Rochambeau and his French Forces from July 6, 1781 to August 18, 1781. During that time, General George Washington and the Continental Army camped nearby in Ardsley. The two generals met and spent weeks traveling through Westchester and the Bronx to acquire intelligence about British Army and Navy strength in Manhattan. Washington had felt from the beginning of the war that defeating the British in New York would mean winning. However, after receiving word from French Admiral de Grasse on August 14th that his fleet would not come as far north as New York but could meet them in Virginia, the generals made the crucial decision not to engage the British in New York, a battle that they likely would have lost without a naval presence. Instead the two forces of over 7,000 soldiers crossed the Hudson River at night and marched their combined armies to Yorktown, Virginia where they defeated Lord Cornwallis and won the war.
The Friends and the Town now have a professional inventory of all artifacts received from SAR and are jointly working to choose the best pieces for exhibits in the museum. The Museum planning firm hired by the Friends will present the Schematic Designs for all the interior exhibits at the Town Board meeting on January 22. The goal is to have a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Museum in October of 2025. .The museum will be a center displaying our community heritage as well as commemorating the first international alliance of the United States, the French American Alliance. As such it will become a tourism attraction for many visitors, local, national and international.
For information about the Odell House restoration efforts see the website below. Congratulations Madame la Chevaliere Susan Seal (I looked up how one should properly greet a Knight).
PAUL FEINER Greenburgh Town Supervisor